In his latest single, Joka Honors the father of afrobeats, Fela Kuti.
Track 4 from Joka’s latest project, Sky Blue, is a powerful tribute to Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti.
Titled “Young Kuti”, the song embodies Fela’s rebellious spirit, innovative energy, and unwavering commitment to music and activism, while carving out Joka’s space in the global music scene.
Inspired by Fela’s boldness and fearless dedication to his craft, “Young Kuti” is more than just a homage—it’s a declaration of intent.
Joka (born Joram Ntale Emmanuel) uses the track to pledge his commitment to breaking boundaries, challenging norms, and elevating his sound to new heights.
Featuring an iconic sample of Fela’s timeless words; “Music is a spiritual thing, you don’t play with music. If you play with music you will die young. You see, because when the higher forces give you the gift of music…musicianship, it must be well used for the gift of humanity. If you use it for your own self or deceiving people, you’ll die young, and I’ve told people this many time.” the song becomes a rallying cry for transformation through music.
“I’m living life like Young Kuti”, croons Joka on the chorus as he delivers electrifying Afrobeat rhythms using his dynamic horn melodies.
“Young Kuti” is a movement in itself. Through this anthem, Joka does pay respect to Fela’s enduring legacy, merges Afrobeat tradition with experimental modern sounds and proclaims himself as a fearless, genre-defying artist.
“Young Kuti” is more than just a song—it’s a call to action for it reminds listeners of the power of music to inspire, unite, and create lasting change, just as Fela Kuti did in his time.
With “Young Kuti”, Joka doesn’t just pay homage to Fela; he channels the legend’s spirit to forge a movement of his own, ensuring Afrobeat’s fire continues to burn bright.
On the 2 minute 58 second song, Joka joins the likes of Sean Dampte, Seun, Erykah Badu, Burna Boy, Adekunle Gold, Kizz Daniel, among others who have sampled among other forms of honoring the Afrobeats legend that is Fela Kuti.
The track was produced by Joka’s frequent collaborator GEOXwill and Pingting. Stream “Young Kuti”, out now on all music listening and downloading platforms: